The Car Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray presentation of "The Car," delivered by Scream Factory with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, offers a commendable visual experience for a nearly forty-year-old low-budget film. Notably akin to Arrow’s British release, the transfer preserves the fine film grain that enhances the image clarity significantly, allowing detailed appreciation of facial features, makeup, costumes, and expansive desert vistas. The overall palette appears rich and natural, with daylight scenes exhibiting the best quality, showcasing vibrant primary colors and well-defined surfaces. Although there are some minor issues with edge enhancement and occasional banding, these imperfections are relatively minor and do not detract significantly from the overall viewing experience.

Nighttime sequences reveal slight compression artifacts and demonstrate some challenges with black levels, where details can be obscured. Despite these minor setbacks, the depth of field remains impressive in both interior and exterior shots, contributing to a dynamic cinematic presence. While reds occasionally appear pinkish, flesh tones maintain a naturally warm appearance consistent with the film’s sunny desert setting. Ensuring an immersive visual presentation, the fine detail in close-ups—such as wood grain, fabric texture, and vehicle conditioning—remains prominent throughout. The print used for this transfer appears to be in excellent condition, free from notable speckling or damage artifacts.

In summary, "The Car" on Blu-ray is a robust visual offering, particularly given its genre and production constraints. With its high-definition 1080p resolution and well-maintained grain structure, it delivers a visually satisfying rendition that outshines previous home video formats and stands as a testament to its enduring appeal.

The Car's Blu-Ray audio presentation is exemplary, offering both DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks. The 5.1 track stands out with its robust low end, providing substantial rumbly bass during engine roars and lower brass instrument segments in Leonard Rosenman's score. Immersion is notably effective in attack scenes, where sound effects convincingly pan through the soundfield. Both tracks ensure dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly, free of any audible issues, offering a pristine listening experience.

The DTS-HD MA 2.0 track impresses with its meticulous channel movement, especially when the car zooms across the screen, and employs a trailing effect of the car's horn post-kills to heighten the suspense. The auditory presence remains front/center-loaded but never clashes among music, sound effects, and dialogue. Rosenman's score utilizes the midranges effectively, adding dissonant tones that enhance the film's eerie atmosphere without overwhelming other elements. Noteworthy is the absence of age-related audio anomalies, making the track a clean and immersive experience.

Overall, the Blu-Ray offers an exceptional audio experience whether opting for the 5.1 mix or the original theatrical 2.0 track. The dynamics feel fresh and contemporary, with balanced layering of score, vocals, and sound effects. Low-frequency effects such as engines revving and gunfire are given substantial weight in the mix. Though most action sticks to the front channels, rear channel ambiance is utilized effectively to maintain an immersive environment. Both audio formats deliver an engaging and richly detailed listen that does justice to the film’s sound design and score.

The Blu-ray extras for "The Car" provide a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look and insightful discussions with key figures involved in the film's production. The Interview with Director Elliot Silverstein is candid, balancing reflections on production challenges with an acknowledgment of the film's charm, especially its practical effects and stunts. Actress Geraldine Keams delves into her history and experience during filming, emphasizing her career trajectory and insights into her character. Melody Thomas Scott offers a spirited account of her experiences, including anecdotes about on-set pranks and interactions with the director. The extras also feature marketing materials including a thematic Theatrical Trailer, a succinct TV Spot, and effective Radio Spots. The Still Gallery provides an engaging collection of behind-the-scenes images, production stills, and promotional materials.

Extras included in this disc:

• Interview with Director Elliot Silverstein: In-depth reflections and production anecdotes.
• Interview with Actress Geraldine Keams: Career insights and production experiences.
• Interview with Melody Thomas Scott: Personal anecdotes and career reflections.
• Theatrical Trailer: Classic promotional material.
• TV Spot: Brief promotional segment.
• Radio Spots: Dramatic audio promotions.
• Still Gallery: Extensive collection of production-related images.

"The Car," directed by Elliot Silverstein and precipitated by Universal's success with "Jaws," emerges as an intriguing take on the automobile horror subgenre. The essence of the film pivots on a demonic, driverless car terrorizing a quintessential small town. Given its premise of "Jaws on land," the narrative is ripe with tension and suspense, bolstered by Leonard Rosenman's ominous score recycling the Dies Irae theme. Despite initial critical scorn, there is an undeniable retroactive appreciation for its style and execution.

The film opens with an eerily serene setting in southern Utah, only to see it disrupted by the titular car that appears out of nowhere. Scenes such as the car pursuing two bicyclists or dispatching a French Horn-playing hitchhiker set the tone. James Brolin leads as Wade Parent, a sheriff's deputy who transitions to the forefront of the investigation following a series of increasingly bizarre and deadly encounters with the vehicle. The cast, rounded out by R.G. Armstrong and John Marley, brings a commitment which elevates the material beyond mere B-movie fare.

While it’s clear that "The Car" unabashedly borrows elements from "Jaws," it operates effectively within its own framework of tension and unintentional humor. The lack of clear motive for the car's rampage adds a mystique that underscores its evil nature. Technical elements, notably sound engineering, reinforce climactic moments with impactful engine roars that heighten suspense. Notwithstanding its relatively simplistic story and occasional lapses into silliness, "The Car" provides an engaging ride for audiences willing to embrace its campy horror thrills.

The Scream Factory Blu-ray release of "The Car" is an entertaining addition to any B-Movie horror collection. Despite being characterized as a low-budget Jaws knock-off, the film delivers an enjoyable and thrilling ride with its unapologetically low brow content. The simplicity of the plot is effectively counterbalanced by the engaging storytelling and consistent pacing, ensuring the film remains far from boring. It’s advisable to approach this movie with a relaxed mindset for maximum enjoyment.

Technically, Scream Factory has outdone themselves with a commendable image transfer and a robust audio track. The video quality is clean and clear, maintaining a high standard throughout, while the lossless surround audio track significantly enhances the viewing experience. Although the supplementary content is somewhat limited compared to other releases, it does include some quality interviews that provide valuable insights into the film's production.

Based on Svet's review, it looks like the British Arrow release has more in the supplements department than this Scream release (something that's at least a little surprising, given Shout!'s emphasis on providing ample bonus content for its horror releases put out under the Scream imprint), and so those with region free players may want to check out that version. Otherwise, though, video quality looks largely identical, and this release offers a lossless surround track which the British release does not. The Car is unabashedly silly, but it's fun in an unapologetically low brow way. Recommended.